The Andasol solar power station is a 150-megawatt
concentrated solar power station and Europe's first commercial plant to use
parabolic troughs. Located near
Guadix in
Andalusia, Spain, the Andasol plant uses tanks of molten salt as
thermal energy storage to continue generating electricity, irrespective of whether the sun is shining or not. It consists of three projects, completed in 2008, 2009 and 2011, and occupying a total area of about 200 hectares (490 acres). Because of its high altitude (1,100 m; 3,600 ft) and the
semi-arid climate, the site has exceptionally high annual direct
insolation. This aerial view of the Andasol plant was taken in 2021, with the snow-capped peaks of the
Sierra Nevada in the background.Photograph credit:
kallerna
